All electronic devices use electricity as an energy source. A method of providing electricity to be used in electronic devices may include a method of directly providing electricity to an electronic device by connecting a plug to a socket at which a power line is connected and a method of providing electricity to an electronic device using a battery that generates electricity using a chemical operation. Such electronic devices are widely used in various forms and fields, for example appliances used in a home may be driven when electricity is supplied and most devices used in a factory or an office may be driven when electricity is supplied.
In this way, electric energy may have much influence on our life, and it functions as an essential energy source. Nowadays, in most countries, research is being conducted to find cheaper and safer methods for producing electric energy, which is an important energy source.
With the development of information and communication technology, information and communication technology is being used generally in electronic devices used in homes. Smart electronic devices that can provide functions in addition to the basic function provided by the corresponding electronic device as well as technology for communication with electronic devices generally used in a home have gradually been launched. Smart electronic devices used in a home are generally referred to as smart home appliances.
Many smart home appliances have a power measuring function for measuring their own power consumption and may share information thereof with other devices using a wired or wireless external interface. However, it is expected to take a long time until smart home appliances are widespread in the home appliance market. In particular, the spread of smart home appliances has been slow because it costs much to replace general home appliances with smart home appliances.
As an alternative to the replacement of general home appliances by smart home appliances, a smart plug has been developed. Whenever an electronic device operates, the smart plug has a function of measuring consumption power and transmitting the measured consumption power to another device, for example, a computer (PC) or a home energy manager (HEM). When such a smart plug is used, a smart home may be established even with the existing general home appliances. That is, when a smart plug is used, a quantity of electricity consumed for an idle time of an electronic device connected to the smart plug or a quantity of electricity consumed while operating an electronic device connected to the smart plug may be detected, and information about the detected quantity may be provided to a user.
Therefore, by managing an energy use situation or history of each electronic device, a user may receive a guide for energy saving.